No one can escape them. These hidden enemies are in the food we eat, the drinks we consume and the air we breathe.

Toxins are making us sick. One part is almost immediately affected: the human brain.

Brain power

There are ways to protect this incredible organ. This complex structure is one that still baffles modern medical thinking. Brain function is unlike that of any other organ and is something to marvel at.

Do you know that the brain has its own immune system? When the brain’s immune cells are compromised, you are making the conditions ripe for brain illnesses like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

Normally, this system is in a resting state. However, once disturbed and depressed, these immune cells go into action. When active, the brain is in self-destruct mode, releasing free radicals. If these same elements switch into healing mode, they attack bacteria and virus.

Preventing Alzheimer’s

It’s all about protecting the brain from inflammation, which leads to mitochondrial dysfunction. In short, let’s keep the brain’s energy level up.

Sarah’s story:

Three years after being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, and after the countless times she assisted her husband by feeding, washing and caring for him, he asked her a devastating question: “Who are you?”

Alzheimer’s disease was first described in 1906. Today it afflicts millions worldwide by destroying brain cells while causing memory loss. The disease worsens over time and is fatal. Currently there is no cure, only medication that can reduce the severity of symptoms.

While Alzheimer’s is a disease that affects those in their 70s, evidence proves that it can visit others in their 50s and 60s.

Take the case of Steve, an accountant in his mid-50s. He became increasingly disorganized and prone to error. Mary, his wife who was a doctor, discovered that there could be relief from MCTs or medium chain triglycerides. And that’s exactly what she did—feed her husband MCT, which can only be found in a mother’s milk or in virgin coconut oil (VCO).

After months of following his new regime, he experienced relief.

Steve, who had been diagnosed with severe Alzheimer’s two years ago, is now alive and baffling doctors. While his speech is not perfect, he can do other things like mow the lawn.

Ketones therapy

Ketones are high-energy fuels produced in the liver. These are delivered to you as brain food.

Watch out, dieters: Brain cells have difficulty metabolizing glucose, the brain’s main source of energy. It’s simple: Without glucose, the brain is deprived of energy.

Here’s how it works: When a person eats food depleted of glucose, it starves the brain. So, the next time you starve yourself, think again—you are sabotaging your brain, as well.

MCT can also be found in virgin coconut oil. This is the basis of Dr. Bruce Fife’s new book “Stop Alzheimer’s Now.”

Ketones are called brain super fuel, say MD research scientists at the National Institute of Health in Bethesda, Maryland, because it is still relatively new. Ketone therapy is now starting to excite health experts even if not too many are aware of it.

It is suggested that patients may find relief from Alzheimer’s, Huntington’s, Lou Gehrig’s disease, epilepsy, Tourette syndrome, Meniere’s and other metabolic disorders by applying ketone therapy.

More good news

Weight loss is made easier with VCO. By taking a tablespoon daily before exercise, you speed up your metabolism and promote fat-burning. Moreover, if you take it before meals, it will aid in more efficient digestion.

For a face and body rub, place VCO on the palms of your hands. Rub gently until the oil is warm. Place both palms on your face. Allow your warm hands to release the hydrating oil on your face. Rub the rest of the oil on your body.

Complete stories on our Digital Edition newsstand for tablets, netbooks and mobile phones; 14-issue free trial. About to step out? Get breaking alerts on your mobile.phone. Text ON INQ BREAKING to 4467, for Globe, Smart and Sun subscribers in the Philippines.

Disclaimer: The comments uploaded on this site do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of management and owner of INQUIRER.net. We reserve the right to exclude comments that we deem to be inconsistent with our editorial standards.

However, coconut oil is the worst for producing bad cholesterol, while flaxseed (linssed) is the best. The bad fats also make your digestive system extract more nutrients out of food, leading to obesity in well fed people, but providing a boon for those starving. Folic acid is the most essential substance for staving off Alzheimers, something you get in strawberries and the like. But people on junk food diets are likely not to be eating those things. Time and again the Mediterranean diet has been shown to be beneficial in fighting so many different diseases.

GKLer

I suggest reading “The Truth About Coconut Oil” – a book by Conrado Dayrit, M.D. (cardiologist, pharmacologist, scientist, professor emeritus of pharmacology at UP, a former president of: Philippine Heart Assoc, Federation of Asian Scientific Academies and Societies, Philippine National Academy of Science and Technology)

In that book he provides the relationship of fats, cholesterol and coconut oil backed with medical data.

If you find the book too difficult to digest, try the interview:
www . lutongbahay . com/index.cfm?pagename=articles&opn=1&ArticleID=184